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Ferrari plans new club to help loyal owners buy limited-edition cars

Some Ferrari owners were upset that they didn't get a chance to buy the limited-edition SA Aperta.

Ferrari plans to create a collector's club to give loyal customers a better chance of owning one of the company's limited edition cars.

The club likely will be open only to people who possess at least five Ferraris. The Italian supercar brand says there are about 300 collectors worldwide who own five or more Prancing Horse models.

"I don't want our faithful collectors to miss the opportunity to buy one of our special series," Ferrari CEO Luca Cordero di Montezemolo said in an interview with Automotive News Europe.

Montezemolo is considering giving club members right of first refusal on special-series Ferrari cars.

The idea for the club comes after the Ferrari SA Aperta, a roadster version of the 599 GTB coupe, caused discord between the carmaker and some Ferrari owners who were unable to buy the model because production was limited to just 80 units.

Unveiled during a customer-only event in August 2010 at the Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance, the SA Aperta sold for about $545,000 in Italy.

Production was limited to 80 units because it was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Italian design house Pininfarina, which has styled almost all production Ferrari models since 1951.

The collector's club would be more exclusive than the existing owner's clubs. The Ferrari owner's clubs are made up of about 13,000 members in more than 30 nations. The owner's club members are active at events such as track days, concours d'elegance, gala dinners and charity events.

To offer Ferrari owners a better understanding of the cars they drive and the country that builds them, Montezemolo is planning an annual driving and sightseeing event.

The "Ferrari Cavalcade" will take place in a different region of Italy every year, starting next spring. It will be open to 120 Ferrari owners from all over the world, with a limited number of places assigned to the different markets.

Owners will drive their Ferrari car for about 90 miles a day, mainly using secondary public roads, and also on tracks including Ferrari's Fiorano test track at the company's headquarters in Maranello and Ferrari's racetrack of il Mugello, near Florence.